HIGH PERFORMANCE ICE DRIVING

Rauno Aaltonen

Legend of Motorsport

Tino Aaltonen

CEO of Company

Kati Aaltonen

Sales & Marketing

TAHKO, FINLAND

FINLAND - THE LAND OF THE
THOUSAND LAKES

Aaltonen Motorsport driving events are organized in eastern Finland, at the beautiful Tahkovuori winter sport resort. The track used is built on a frozen lake in the middle of untouched Finnish nature. These lofty surroundings have an important part in the whole experience, but the main point of the whole event is driving. And boy, do you get to drive!

Aaltonen Motorsport events are known for their extensive practical training, the theory part of the training is comprehensive, but kept as brief as possible. After all, driving is something you learn by doing, not by studying. To achieve best possible results, the emphasis of the training is set on individualism. This way the students can be brought to concentrate on essential issues in their driving, and achieve as positive results as possible. The training will start with easier car control training, and advance towards more difficult performance driving tasks. In order to be able to learn car control at the limit in high speeds, the cars are equipped with ice rally tyres.

At the end of the training the participants will race against the clock to find out the Champion of the ice track!

The typical customers include corporations, who offer recreational or incentive events to their staff or clients, race drivers ranging from beginner to full professionals not to forget the average motorists. Especially women have enjoyed Aaltonen Motorsport events as the approach to training is kept personal and the contents and emphasis of the training are adjusted according to each student's personal needs and wishes. However, if your partner doesn't wish to spend time behind the wheel, Aaltonen Motorsport also offers alternative activities to racing.

There are 3 basic outlines for different types of events, from the very basic training to well skilled performance driving and finally to full out racing practices. The most exclusive event is Rauno Aaltonen Special, where the motorsports legend will be instructing you to the art of high performance ice driving.

TRAVEL

WE TAKE CARE OF YOU
ALL THE WAY

Aaltonen Motorsport driving events are complete packages. All you have to do is get yourself to Kuopio airport, from there on Aaltonen Motorsport will take over and do their best so that you'll have an unforgettable motorsports event in beautiful wintery Finland. Suggested clothing is two piece alpine skiing clothes and light winter shoes, as heavy boots aren't the best possible choice for driving. If you have any special requirements of wishes about the program, please don't hesitate to contact us to tailor the event to your liking.

Tahko is located basically in the middle of Finland, in Nilsiä. The nearest airport is in Kuopio, roughly 50 kilometers away. The railway station can be found in Siilinjärvi, which is located 40 kilometers from Tahko. The closest town is Nilsiä, which is about 10 kilometers away.

Finnair (One World) and Blue1 (Star Alliance) have several flights to Kuopio every day, making this the easiest way to come to us. Aaltonen Motorsport crew will be welcoming you at Kuopio airport, and take you to Tahko. The trip from and to the airport is included in the price of an ice-driving event.

If you choose to arrive by your own car, you'll find some distances to Tahko below with an estimated travel time:

Kuopio 59 km, 44 min

Oulu 280 km, 3 h 27 min

Tampere 357 km, 4 h 24 min

Vaasa 390 km, 4h 54 min

Helsinki 435 km, 5h 31 min

Turku 507 km, 6 h 21 min

You can also arrive by bus. The closest bus station is at Nilsiä.
Train service is also quite convenient, the closest stations are at Siilinjärvi (40 km) and Kuopio (65 km).
Please inform us of your method of travelling, so we can arrange your transportation to Tahko.

WE ARE GREEN

Motorsports are often seen as harmful to the environment. Aaltonen Motorsport take care to minimize their effect on nature. The track is constructed on a naturally frozen lake. We carry spill equipment for the unlikely event of a fluid leak and always ensure the ice stays clean of any foreign substances. In the spring, the ice melts and the lake looks as if we never were there in the first place. Then we again wait for nature to build us another ice racing venue for next winter.

Our cars are equipped with K&N air filters constructed from renewable cotton. The filters are washable and reusable, so the amount of waste is kept to minimum. As they also help engine breathing, they result in cleaner burning. Currently our cars run on unleaded fuel, but we are testing bioethanol fuels and if we can conclude they're better in the environmental sense we will without any doubt start using them in the near future.

As Aaltonen Motorsport are concerned about the environment, we're participating in a Finnish campaign, Operaatio Maa, or Operation Earth, as the translation would be. The Operation gets publicity also as a TV show, where among other Finnish celebrities Erja Häkkinen is conducting a project to prevent global warming. We also support a charity for wellbeing of the Baltic Sea, a matter that should be high on the agenda of every Nordic and Baltic person.

Still 7 cars for sale (ford focus) 7500 €/each. Also well equipped maintenance truck mercedes 814 for sale. Give us a call!

Happy Clients

I’am amazed, I should say thank you so much for your awesome ice driving experience. Most fun i have ever had with my company guests!

Peter / Germany

Rauno Aaltonen special was special indeed - we got driving tips from Rauno Aaltonen Himself!

Philip / Holland

I learned so much about safer winter driving i can now put to good use back home - learning the fun way!

Rolf / Norway

THE CARS

MINI - FORD FOCUS - BMW

Aaltonen Motorsport have a wide range of cars, in total the lineup consists of 14 cars, all painstakingly prepared for ice racing. In Ford Focus and BMW –cars we use spiked rally tires with 6 mm spike protrusion, racing seats and full roll gages.
Our participants will share max. two drivers per car. The co-driver may observe relaxed the driver's action and learn from the advantages and mistakes. Sometimes of pedagogical reasons the driver will drive alone.

MINI

FORD FOCUS 2.0

BMW 325i

Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works Kit

Soon after the car's launch John Cooper noticed the original Mini's great performance potential and begun building fast versions of the small car. It's excellent handling characteristics, light bodyweight and small size made it ideal for racetracks and rally stages. In fact, the John Cooper prepared cars were so successful, that they pretty much destroyed the competition.

The most legendary version was the 1275 S, which won more or less everything there is to win in the 60's. One of the most famous instances of the Minis not winning was the 1966 Rallye Monte Carlo, where the Minis got a 1-2-3 finish, but were disqualified by a controversial decision by the race officials. It should be noted, that Tino's father, Rauno Aaltonen finished 2nd in the notorious race. A year later he managed to settle the score and won the rally.

FORD FOCUS 2.0

When the Ford Focus replaced the legendary Escort, the press didn't spare their praise for the newcomer. They all loved the way the car handled and how much fun it was to drive. The 2.0-liter Zetec engine was rather frisky even in standard form, making the car a solid performer. Although the news of Escort discontinuation raised a storm of protest, after the first test drives of the new Focus the protesters were silenced.

When Tino Aaltonen raced professionally and ran his own touring car racing team, they used Ford Focuses - the cars built by his team were among the fastest in Europe. Using this expertise, he has painstakingly prepared these ice racing versions. The cars boast upgraded engines, Eibach racing suspension, full roll cages, racing seats and spiked ice rally tyres. In other words, they are fully prepared racing cars. Getting to drive these cars is a privilege; it's about as close to racing you can get without actually owning a racecar.

BMW 325

Freude am Fahren - the joy of driving. The BMW slogan pretty much sums up what their cars are all about. BMW are widely considered as the most driver-oriented of the German big three. The cars used by Aaltonen Motorsport are of the most legendary body type of the 3-series, the E30. The M3 version of the E30 is actually the most successful touring car of all time, when they hit the race tracks, their performance was completely unmatched by the opposition.

Aaltonen Motorsport cars are originally based on the powerful 2.5-liter, 6 cylinder 325i. However, they don't share a lot with the cars you see on the roads, as they have been extensively modified for ice racing. They have received necessary engine upgrades, Eibach racing suspension, reinforced body, full roll cages, racing seats and spiked ice rally tyres. You'll never get more Freude am Fahren than power sliding these old school legends

AALTONEN MOTORSPORT FLICKR GALLERY

History

The head instructor is Tino Aaltonen, ex-professional race driver. He started his career on the rally special stages, but he was most successful on racetracks, where he became known as the fastest touring car racer in Finland. He has also raced in the German DTC-series. Alongside racing himself, he ran his own racing team, which prepared countless extremely successful racing cars for Finnish and European racetracks.

He also has two decades of experience as driving instructor - he has instructed both average motorists and racing & rally drivers. An impressive lineup of car manufacturers have asked for his expertise in their own training events, he has been an instructor for Ferrari, Porsche, BMW and Mini, for instance.

The Aaltonen Motorsport training is based on the unique training methods created by Tino's father, Rauno Aaltonen. He of course is a motorsports legend, a European Rally Champion, the "Rally Professor" and the original Flying Finn, who has successfully raced pretty much everything with an engine in an incredible 127 different countries!

Tino is the 3rd generation of racing drivers in the Aaltonen family. His grandfather, Rauno's father August Aaltonen started before the World War II in road racing and continued with speedway motorcycles in the early 50's, building speedway bikes in small series and leading the Finnish Championship winning team. Later he started building racing boats and cars.

INFORMATION AND REGULATIONS OF AALTONEN MOTORSPORT

Terms and FAQ

The training cars are front wheel drive Ford Focus, Mini and rear wheel drive BMW ice race cars. Each participant will have the chance to learn both types of car. The tyres are special ice racing studded tyres with long spikes. This gives the participants the experience to feel a stronger centrifugal force and find the problems and recovery of high speed slides and drifts. This will help later in unforeseen tight situations on normal roads in everyday traffic or in rallies.

The training days are divided in sections; this gives the possibility to combine training of specific safety methods with pure fun of a perfect car control. The groups are kept small; hence every participant will get personal attention during the training. This improves the learning success.

The primary note is set on individuality. The smallest size of each course is minimum 6 participants. The program of the training is based on fun, new experiences, which will lead to a better overall vehicle control and a higher personal traffic safety.

The participants must have a motorcar or motorcycle driving licence and should have normal physical health. We recommend alpine skiing underwear, winter jacket and winter shoes for car training. Large polar boots are not suitable for car driving.

In case of snowmobile driving all equipment including helmet and warm boots are supplied.

The price includes all costs in accordance with the program from the group arrival to the group return transfer to the Kuopio Airport. All alcoholic beverages and damage to vehicles and equipment are to be paid by the participant.

The entry confirmation fee is half of the price and is to be paid during one week after reservation. The reservation is not valid if the payment is not paid on time. The remaining part of the fee is due on eight weeks before event. In case of cancellation the confirmation fee will be charged as a cancellation fee. If the cancellation is four weeks before the event or later, the total price will be charged. We withhold the right to change the program, postpone or entirely cancel the

event in case of important reasons. In case of entire cancellation the entry fee will be returned. All further requirements for any loss or damages are excluded.

In case of overbooking we reserve the right to limit the number of participants.

The participant agrees in case of a dispute of this agreement of conditions or any incident or requirement arising in connection of this event to settle the case only in a Court in Turku, Finland according to the Finnish Law.

Those who are interested in an additional snowmobile safari, should ask us for an offer depending on the length of the safari and size of the group, a possible extra hotel accommodation and return transfer.

We are looking forward to see you in Tahko and enjoy an unforgettable training with you.

Here you will find frequently asked questions and answers to them. If you have a question that’s not answered here, please feel free to contact us!

Ice driving conditions are perfect beginning from January until end of March! Book your date now and get ready for the ride of your life.

Also ask for ATV and snowmobile safaris. Combine these tailor-made Aaltonen events with your seminar or business meeting.

Q. Is this a racing school?
A. Let’s tackle this question in two parts. First, “school.” We organize events in order to improve the attendees’ driving skills, but the education is in no way similar to school as we remember it. In fact, you’ll be having so much fun it might be closer to recess!

Then let’s think about “racing” – the events can be tailored by your own preferences. We give training to rally and race drivers of all skill levels, but also to average Joe. Naturally the events tailored to these groups differ greatly, so we don’t want to call ourselves “racing oriented” but if you want to learn racing techniques, there is no better place to learn them. Usually the emphasis is set on car control and car’s behavior on the limit from the point of view of the average motorist.

Q. What and how do you teach?
A. We concentrate on giving each attendee as personal coaching as possible, in order to help them concentrate on the essential areas in your driving. Because you don’t learn to drive a car from a book, we ensure you get to spend as much time as possible behind the wheel.

Q. Don’t you think theory is important at all?
A. Theory is certainly important; this is why key areas are covered before actually starting the cars. However, knowing the theory is just a tool to make learning to drive easier. In fact there always have been many extremely skilled drivers, who never studied theory of car control and behavior, but as previously stated, knowing it will help you analyze your driving and this way make learning easier and quicker.

Q. Do I have enough experience to attend?
A. Yes. We all have started from somewhere, and we at Aaltonen Motorsport try our best to tailor our events suitable for just you. As you learn during the event, we will direct your attention to the key areas of your driving.

Q. It looks like a really long way, how do I get there?
A. It’s easier than you think. The flight to Kuopio from Helsinki takes less than an hour. Aaltonen Motorsport crew will be at Kuopio airport to welcome you, and we have arranged the transportation to Tahko. Please see the Travel pages for full information.

Q. What's included in the price?
A. See the Program page for details. Essentially everything is included but the flights to Kuopio and your bar bill!

Q. What do I need to bring with me?
A. Warm winter clothes, for instance two-piece alpine skiing clothes are suitable. You’ll also need winter shoes suited for driving, heavy boots aren’t preferred. Aaltonen Motorsport take care of the rest, supplying you for instance with driving equipment. If you have your own helmet, feel free to take it with you, but this isn’t necessary.

Q. How fast will I be driving?
A. You’ll be surprised! The cars equipped with long spikes get impressive cornering speeds; in fact the traction is roughly the same as on damp asphalt. This combined with the learning that will surely follow, you will no doubt go a lot faster than you expect.